


Crooked Teeth

by nawsies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Assassination, Clones, Druids, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Politics, Prisoner of War, Slow Burn, Team Bonding, There's actually plot for once, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-01-16 06:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12337638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nawsies/pseuds/nawsies
Summary: After rescuing a clone of Shiro from deep in the belly of a Galra prison, the Paladins struggle with fun things like; that clone that was just mentioned; defending the small peace alliance they've gathered from an apocalyptic weapon; and most terrifying of all, feelings.Inspired by @theprojectava's art





	1. Act One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm completely ignoring canon and just doing my own thing 
> 
> Kuro in this fic is heavily inspired, of course, by the amazingly talented [theprojectava](https://theprojectava.tumblr.com/)

Hunk exhaled heavily, lowering his blaster and taking the rare still moment to collect himself. Even when the halls were empty of droids and soldiers, a Galran ship still wasn’t quiet. Hunk strained to hear over the whir of the ship, the shouts and yells on other floors, his own pounding heart. After a beat, he accepted that it was safe to move forward.

Hunk really hated being alone in Galra prison ships. But, Shiro had trusted him to go clear out the prisoners, saying something about him having the most calming presence. Hunk was proud of that, but to be honest, he preferred staying in his lion. Partly because his bayard wasn’t particularly well suited to high-pace solo combat, but mostly because of the compound anxiety he got from himself, and Yellow getting antsy when he wasn’t with her. He had thought his mind could cycle through terrible possibilities at an insanely fast rate before, try having a giant mechanical sentient immortal beast in his head calculating the possibilities of failure at hyper speed.

Hunk shivered, he could feel Yellow shudder too. He took a deep breath again, in for four counts, hold for seven, out for eight. Rinse and repeat. It was just the cold, he told himself, there was nothing extra creepy going on, it was just that Galra ships were also always cold. He wondered to himself if it was because Galra fur and armour kept them so well insulated, but then how did the furless Galra cope? Were they cold-blooded like lizards? Did they have little ultra-violet heat lamps scattered around the ship where they could lie down and heat up? Maybe their suits had little lamps within them to keep them warm - maybe that was why everything glowed purple? Maybe there was supposed to be a temperature regulator in his own suit that he hadn’t discovered yet? How hard would it be to integrate that into the suits if they didn’t have one? Were Alteans better at regulating body temperature in extreme circumstances? Was the original Yellow Paladin Altean, or something else? Did the other suits have thermoregulation features? He’d have to ask Pidge because really it shouldn’t be that hard to work something out, if he could just…

“Hunk!” Lance yelled through the coms. “You alright bro?”

Hunk startled out of musings. From the tension in Lance’s voice, Hunk guessed it wasn’t the first time he’d asked. “Woah, yes, hello, Hunk copying loud and clear!” He steadied himself against the wall, trying to remember what he was supposed to be looking for. Right, prisoners, Galra ship, rescue mission. “I’m fine but something’s off about this, there are no prisoners at all. Every cell is just, empty. It’s freezing down here too.”

“The Galra really need someone to teach them about ethical treatment of prisoners,” said Lance. “Well, if it’s all empty then the Blade must’ve been wrong and this was a bust.” There was the sound of gunfire and a yelp from Lance. “Talk soon bud, Keith missed some dudes and I have to clean up.”

Hunk heard a sound of protest from Keith before both Com links were shut off and he was left with his own thoughts again. Not the most pleasant company, but better than the Galra. Each cell was a carbon copy of the one beside it, perfect square, metal bed, one strip of purple light, crippling, suffocating, emptiness. He passed vacant cell after vacant cell, spiralling lower into the belly of the ship. More than once he wanted to turn back and get out of dodge, but the mission always came first. 

He was deep in the belly of the ship, about to declare the prison empty, when one cell broke the pattern. One cell where there seemed to be, something in the back corner where the light didn’t quite reach.

Hunk peered into the darkness, there was definitely something huddled there. Although they were hunched up, he could just make out their broad shape, slight tremors running through them like aftershocks.

“I’m not Galra,” Hunk stated. His skin crawled, there was bad juju surrounding this cell and he wanted them to be out of there yesterday. “I’m here to get you out of here.”

“You’re a Paladin,” they said, their voice was deep and gravelly, but Hunk was glad to hear they could communicate. They’d rescued a planet of insect-like aliens awhile back and their language consisted of a series of bizarre clicks and buzzes that left everyone but Coran completely lost. There was something about his accent though that threw Hunk.

“Yes.” Hunk nodded, even though he had no idea if they were looking at him or not, or if they’d recognize what a nod meant. “And we should really get you out of here because the guards upstairs are not happy.”

“Is Shiro with you?” They asked.

“You know Shiro?” It shouldn’t have been a surprise to Hunk, Shiro was as much a legend as Voltron at this point.

“I fought against him in the ring,” they whispered. Their voice was so full of acid bitterness that Hunk half expected the bars of the cell to corrode.

Hunk tried not to flinch back – and failed. He braced himself and started inspecting the lock mechanism, most of them were pretty basic and with a little nudge here and there he could have the guy free in no time. This one however, this one he was either going to need Pidge or some Galra DNA to get through because this one was unbreakable.

“They don’t want you going anywhere,” Hunk muttered, “guess that’s why they put you in the ring with Shiro.”

“Leave.” Their voice was softer now, they curled tighter on themselves.

  _Oh_ Hunk twigged, that accent was Galran. His mind started to whir: high security prisoner, Galran, forced into the gladiator pits… “Are you with the Blade?”

The prisoner scoffed. “The Blade wouldn’t take someone like me.”

“But you know who they are so you’ve got to know something about them…”

“You’re nosy.”

“So I’ve been told,” Hunk shrugged. He looked over the lock one more time, if he just had the rest of his tools maybe he’d be able to get in, but he was carrying light and a screwdriver and an Altean style Swiss Army Knife wasn’t going to hack it.

“Yo guys,” Hunk opened the Coms link to the sound of cheering, at least his team were having a success. “If you’re all wrapped up, I’m gonna need a hand getting this guy out of here.”

“Great timing Hunk!” Lance whooped. “We’re all done up top. Keith pulled out an epic move, power slid across the floor cutting hamstrings left right and centre, you should’ve seen it!”

“What kind of cell’s he in?” Pidge asked, ever the practical one. “I’ve got my laptop in Green, I can run back and get it and come down to meet you.”

“Should just open with Keith’s magic touch.”

“I’m on my way,” Keith panted. Classic Keith, exhausted, breathless but pushing on.

“The Red Paladin will be here soon, he can open the cell.” Hunk told the prisoner, hoping it would be of some comfort.

“Stop. Talking.” The prisoner snarled through gritted teeth. “Tell him it’s pointless, tell him you made a mistake, tell him whatever you like just don’t let him come near me.”

“What are you talking about? I know he’s Galra but, I mean so are…don’t you want to get out of here?”  

They stood abruptly, a threadbare blanket falling from their shoulders and Hunk realized with a start that they were human. And then he realized they were Shiro.

Hunk stared. It was impossible, Shiro was somewhere outside in the Black Lion protecting the Castle and making sure Galra reinforcements didn’t make it aboard. But this man was Shiro too, Hunk took in the white fringe, the scar across the bridge of his nose, the prosthetic arm…but the more Hunk looked, there was something off. Little things, like the way he held himself, curving in as though making himself smaller would make Hunk look away, the refusal to make eye-contact, plus his voice and accent, equals Not-Shiro.

Not-Shiro looked up and opened his eyes, Hunk stared. There set in Shiro’s face, flat yellow eyes glowing in the dark prison cell.

The Not-Shiro looked him over and sneered, rolling his shoulders back now and striding towards the bars. He examined Hunk’s face, and Hunk had the sneaking suspicion that he could read everything Hunk was with that look. Hunk took a step back, trying to disengage from whatever this was. Not-Shiro’s lip curled more. “Do you get it now?”

Hunk’s mind clamoured – he didn’t get it at all. This was Shiro but, Galra? What had they done to create him, and how had they done it? This was impossible, this was a sick dream or a Druid illusion, this couldn’t be real.

“Guys,” Hunk’s voice wavered. “On second thought, you really need to come and look at this.”

“What have you found?” Shiro asked.

Hunk wondered if telling Shiro he’d found a super scary clone of him in the basement was a good idea or not, and if it not, what else was he supposed to say? “I think it’s best if you all come see for yourselves.”

“I’m a bit busy out here Hunk,” Shiro’s voice broke off. There was a breath of silence before he spoke again. “Do you think you can handle it?”

“I just need the other guys here.” Hunk’s voice broke slightly and he hoped no one noticed.

“Well we’re pretty much with you,” Lance said.  “I hope it’s a hot alien prisoner. I haven’t saved a damsel in distress in too long. The ladies are deprived of my heroism.”

“The only damsel in distress around here is you,” said Pidge.

Hunk heard Lance’s scandalized gasp first in the hallway then a repeat of it through his Coms. His shoulders slumped and he breathed a sigh of relief. His team emerged from around the corner, a bit battered and bruised but all standing and composed of smiles and friendly banter. Alive.  

If Hunk had been watching Not-Shiro, instead of staring at the hallway for his team, he would’ve seen him don a new mask. Not-Shiro set his shoulders back, brought himself up straighter, tugged his prisoner’s uniform down and stood to attention. Most importantly though, he let loose the beast that prowled beneath his skin. The one that possessed a casual killing grace. The one that had people fleeing across the gladiator ring with just one look.

If Hunk had been watching, he would’ve seen a guilt-ridden prisoner disappear, and an assassin hardened by a life of fighting in the gladiator pits emerge. But Hunk wasn’t. When he turned to make sure Not-Shiro wasn’t a trick of an exhausted mind, he started to wonder if the guilty prisoner was ever there at all.

“So, what’s the…” Keith started, trailing off as he caught sight of Not-Shiro. His eyes slowly rose, taking him in from the tip of his toes to those bright yellow eyes. Keith’s bayard was out and he was at the bars growling in a heartbeat. “What the fuck are you?”

Lance yelped. He darted forward as if to drag Keith back but his hand hesitated above Keith’s shoulder. He made eye contact with Not-Shiro and folded his arms over his own chest. Hunk stepped closer to him, tempted to pull his bro into a comforting side-hug, but now wasn’t the time for a display of ‘weakness’.

“I’m Shiro,” Not-Shiro grinned. He licked his top lip slowly and winked. “Don’t you recognize me babe?”

Keith snarled. Not-Shiro grinned wider, face nearly splitting as he showed all his pointed, Galran, teeth. He laughed once, a loud and bitter thing, draping his arms out the bars of his cell and leaning forward until his breath shifted Keith’s hair.

“What’s wrong darling?” He purred.

Keith’s sword twitched. Not-Shiro lifted his hands and shimmied them, still not taking them back into the safety of the prison cell. Hunk supposed there wasn’t much that even Keith’s sword could do to that metal arm. If it was like Shiro’s, it was indestructible. The human one however…he didn’t want to watch.

“You wouldn’t hurt your poor unarmed lover, would you darling?” Not-Shiro teased.  

“Don’t call me that.”

“Darling…”

Keith slammed his fist into the wall beside Not-Shiro’s cell. “No games. Who are you?”

“I told you, I’m Shiro,” Not-Shiro pursed his lips. “Well, Shiro with a few improvements.”

“I wouldn’t call anything about you an improvement.” Keith was a hair’s breath away from Not-Shiro now. His fist still clasped, but shaking, against the wall.

“Enhanced senses, heightened speed and strength, memories of Galran history, knowledge of multiple forms of combat, claws to kill with, teeth to tear you apart. I’d call those improvements, wouldn’t you? I’m a weapon, your precious Shiro is an emotionally distraught liability.” Not-Shiro cocked an eyebrow at Keith, daring him to respond.

Pidge cut in before Keith could reach through the bars and cut Not-Shiro’s head off. “How did they make you?” 

Kuro didn’t look away from Keith as he answered. “Well, when a mummy druid and a daddy druid love each other very much.”

“You don’t know.” Pidge scoffed. “Well that’s useless.”

“I know that there was Shiro’s quintessence, and that of a great Galran warrior. I know that I was an experiment that was supposed to change the fate of the Galran Empire. I know that the energy of an entire planet was used to give me this body and to forge my soul. But how exactly was I made small one? I haven’t the slightest idea.”

“Did the druids give you a name?” Lance asked. Not-Shiro startled and Lance had the sneaking suspicion that no one had ever asked him for a name before.

Not-Shiro appraised him. He pulled his hands back from the bars and folded them over his chest in mockery of Lance’s pose. “Kuro.”

“Fitting,” said Keith.  

“Oh, put a sock in it Keith,” Lance snapped. “Just because he’s got your boyfriend’s face doesn’t mean you get to treat him like crap. You’d think it’d make you nicer to him. He’s still a Galra prisoner.”

“Or he’s a Galra spy.” Keith retorted.

“We could just ask him?” Pidge suggested. “Why are you down here?”

“What does any of this matter!?” Keith threw up his arms and stormed down the hall a few paces, turning and coming back before he went out of earshot.

Kuro ran his tongue over his teeth, it caught on his elongated canine and there was a flash of crimson on white bone. “The druids wanted a golden boy, not a golden eyed one. They used more power than they had to build me, and I failed them.”

Before anyone could answer, the ground lurched beneath their feet and they were flung unceremoniously to the floor. Hunk groaned, heaving himself up and pulling Pidge up with him. They steadied themselves against one another, waiting for another hit. When none came, Keith propelled himself to his feet, pressing the COM button on his helmet and demanding answers from Shiro.

“Shiro says to wrap this up, that was the last cruiser outside but Allura wants to make a jump before reinforcements arrive.” Keith’s bayard disappeared into his suit. “Time to get out of here.”

“So, we’re just going to leave him here?” Lance pulled himself up with the bars on the cell opposite Kuro.

“You want to take him with us?” Keith started to walk away. “He’s clearly Galra. We know nothing about him except he’s their puppet.”

“OK so, let’s get the facts,” said Pidge, “there’s a Shiro clone, with Galra DNA, being kept in a low security Galran prison that we were informed was only for rebel forces. The rest of the prison is empty, yet the Galran forces fought like mad to keep us away from here. Kuro apparently failed the Galra Empire, which could make him a rebel?” They bit down on their knuckle and stared at the ground, the gears in their mind turning furiously.

When Keith realized no one was following him out he sighed. He turned back to his team and scowled. “He can’t be a rebel. He’s got to be working for the Galra,” said Keith. “It’s clearly a trap.”

“A trap they’ve kept in a cell.” Lance countered. “They caged him like an animal, he’s _clearly_ been here for months and you think he’s working for them? They left him down here to die Keith.”

“You don’t know that for sure. This is a trap,” said Keith. No-nonsense tone, jaw tilted up, completely immune to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he was wrong about this.

“Oh yeah Keith, because everything with Galra DNA in it is working for Zarkon.” Lance paced across the hall from Kuro’s cell as though he was the one behind bars.

Keith sucked in a breath. “Low-blow Lance.”

“Suck it.” Lance whipped his arm out and pointed to the control panel. “You’re the only one who can open that so it’s your call, but if I’m still your ‘right hand man’ or whatever, I say you’re making a dumb decision leaving a prisoner of war behind on a rescue mission just because he’s wearing Shiro’s face.”

“Lance is right,” said Hunk. “We can’t just leave this guy here, he’s dying.”

“If it’s a trap, we can take care of it.” Pidge nodded. “It’d be worse to leave a powerful weapon in the Galra’s hands.”               

 “Now who’s splitting up the team.” Keith muttered. He tossed his arms in the air - Lance was the only one who noticed Kuro wince back into the wall. “I’ll open the damn cell and when he tries to kill us all, I’ll say I told you so.”

“And won’t that taste sweet.” Lance muttered.

 

* * *

 

Keith couldn’t be trusted alone with Kuro for two seconds without the risk of one of them ejecting the other into the cold vacuum of space. Ditto for Pidge. Except, she was looking like the second she got Kuro alone she was going to cut him open to see what made him tick. Hunk was a good choice, he wouldn’t let Kuro give him any shit but he wouldn’t give him any in return, except for the fact that Kuro absolutely refused to go in Yellow. Said something about getting a weird vibe from the lion. So, Lance got stuck on prisoner transfer duty.

Not that he could complain. It wasn’t a particularly hard task. Kuro was about as active as Hunk’s great aunt Maureen. He just sat in the corner folded in on himself, head rested on his knees as he glared out around the interior of the Blue Lion.

Lance continually tried to make conversation, but he didn’t get anything more than a few grunts in response. The guy didn’t want to talk about anything. Lance tried to chat about Earth, the prison, how long Kuro had been alive, how many people Kuro had killed, what the Gladiator Pits were like. Admittedly those last two topics weren’t his best. He was floundering. The dude was definitely chattier when Keith was around, that was for sure. Although, he did perk up when the Castle came into view.

“It’s so white,” Kuro whispered.

Lance wasn’t sure when Kuro had moved. He now stood by Lance’s seat, Galra hand resting atop his human one on the back of Lance’s chair just inches from his face. The violet light of the shackles danced in Lance’s peripherals but he didn’t want to spook him away by complaining. There was something about the guy Lance wanted to protect, like he was one of the stray kittens who hung around his Uncle’s place, angry and volatile because they knew nothing but the worst of life.

“Coran makes us clean it daily, it’s why I’ve got such mad guns,” Lance joked.

Kuro sniggered but was otherwise quiet. Lance still called that a victory.

The other Paladins were waiting for them in Blue’s hangar when they landed. Lance felt a strange anxiety from Blue and realized with a start that she was relaying Kuro’s feelings to him. He wondered if Kuro knew that a sentient space ship was a nosy gossip who couldn’t keep herself from digging around in his head and transmitting his thoughts like it was broadcast radio. Blue growled and Lance rolled his eyes. If she didn’t want him mocking her, then she should behave better.

“Look,” Lance started, he waited until he was sure he had Kuro’s attention before continuing. “I don’t know what they did to you, I don’t know if you’re here for some shady evil shit or what, but word to the wise, if you want a chance at freedom, cooperate with Allura. She made an oath to protect victims of the Galra and she takes her promises seriously.”

“What does it matter?” Kuro sneered. “The Red one will still kill me the first time I let my guard down. I recognize that rage. Nothing will satisfy him but blood.”

“Keith can be a dick, but he’s not an irrational animal. He just has a lot of walls up, and it takes a long time for anyone to get past them.” Lance chuckled. “Hell, I’m still worried that stab-happy emo is going to shank me in my sleep for forgetting one little bonding moment.”

Kuro didn’t respond. Then he gave a soft laugh. “You are very bad at consoling people.”

“Yeah,” Lance shrugged. “I get that a lot.”

Kuro stared down at the four Paladins, standing together in a cluttered huddle, obviously chatting with one another, absolutely no semblance of strict regimented soldiers. Lance smiled.

“We’re a weird group of people dude, who didn’t sign up to be soldiers at all, but if you don’t give us a reason to lock you in a cell and leave you to rot, then you’ve got a chance at a life of freedom here.”

“A bigger cell is still a prison.” Kuro whispered. “But I…I am grateful for your offer.”

Lance took a deep breath, shaking off the funk that had blanketed itself over him. “Ready to face the music?” Lance asked. He dragged himself out of his chair and shot Kuro a lazy grin. Kuro nodded.

“What am I waiting for exactly?” Shiro’s voice travelled up into Blue’s cockpit as Lance led Kuro out of the ship.

“A Galra clone of you. We found him in the prison. Can we keep him, please?” Pidge pleaded. Lance walked out just in time to see Pidge clasp her hands together and lean on their tippy toes towards Shiro with an over-exaggerated pout.

“Pithy Pidgey.” Lance stopped beside them and ruffled their hair. He darted aside when they reached out to whack him. “Get it, it’s you, short and to the point.”

“Nice one Lance,” said Hunk. The two high-fived while Pidge rolled her eyes exasperatedly. They turned their attention back to Shiro and the clone, and saw Shiro frozen like a fainting goat. A hush fell over the room that dragged on for too many heartbeats to be comfortable, but there was something passing between the two that no one dared interrupt.

“You’re real,” said Shiro. His eyebrows drew together as he stepped towards Kuro.

There was a terror and confusion in his eyes that Lance hadn’t seen since they first rescued him. He wondered, not for the first time if he was being honest, if taking Kuro with them had been a mistake. It was funny how Keith only had Shiro’s safety on his mind when he made his decisions, but somehow Lance had completely ignored how this could affect their illustrious leader.

“You’re real?” Shiro repeated, trembling. His voice was high-pitched and fragile. Keith was suddenly at his side, shoulder to shoulder, fingertips grazing his wrist, all the support he could give without make Shiro seem weak.

“Real as you are.” Kuro jutted his chin at Shiro.

Shiro shrank back. Keith moved to step in front of him but Shiro pushed out his arm to hold him back. “How?”

“If you think me and Haggar are best friends and that she tells me all her secrets then you’re dumber than we look.”

“Don’t compare yourself to him,” Keith growled. “You’re not him.”

Kuro lazily tilted his head to catch Keith’s eye properly. He looked him up and down with steady calculation. “Quiet pup. You’ve already said your piece, now, the adults are talking.”

Keith tried to pounce forward but Shiro still had his arm out blocking him. The two of them shared some kind of silent conversation, in that secret language people who have known each other for years tend to develop. At whatever conclusion they drew, Keith tossed his head away and stepped back a fraction.

Lance looked round to see what Hunk thought of all this and found that Hunk and Pidge had disappeared. Lance hoped they were going to find Allura, maybe he should be going himself, but he couldn’t look away from this oncoming train wreck. If shit hit the fan, he would do his best to be a peacekeeper.  

“How did they create you?” Shiro demanded again.

“I don’t know,” snapped Kuro, “one second I didn’t exist, the next I woke up. That’s all I’ve got.”

“You have no other memories?”

“Oh no, I’ve got all sorts of memories. Good ones, bad ones, strange and confusing ones that don’t make sense. You know those kind, right?” Kuro grinned. “The kind that wake you in the night screaming?”

Shiro ignored the question. “How long have you been alive?”

“Isn’t it rude to ask a man his age? Or does that only count for ladies?” Kuro lifted his shackled hands to his face and tapped his index finger against his lips as he made exaggerated thinking noises. “Absolutely no idea. They wake me up and put me to work. Or they put me to sleep for god knows how long. I was in the ring when you were though, so how ‘bout you tell me how old I am.”

“It’s only been a year since I got out of the ring.”

“Oh, would you look at that, the adults aren’t talking, I’m just a baby.”

“World’s most murderous baby.” Keith muttered.

Kuro smirked. “Is there a prize for that? A nice shiny golden medal? I need to get a few of my own to catch up to precious Shiro’s wall of trophies he has back home.”

“How do you know about that?” Shiro asked.

“I don’t know. I guess it’s how I know about that the nice scar on our knee? Mountain biking accident when we were 12. Or when you were 12 I guess? I’m only one, and I didn’t actually get to do things like ride a bike.” As Kuro spoke his voice dripped lower and lower into a guttural growl.  “I just get to remember you doing it.”

“They gave you my memories?” Shiro stared at him desperately. “They took my memories to give them to you?”

“Shared them. I had to know how to walk the Shiro walk and talk the Shiro talk or I’d be a pretty shit clone.”

“And you’re so good now?” Keith snapped. “What the fuck do you want with Shiro? What’s Haggar planning? What kind of sick shitshow is this?!”

“Keith!” Allura’s voice was steady and forceful, a command that left no room for debate. The steady click of her heels echoed in the silence of Blue’s hangar. “That is enough.”

Keith glared at Kuro, who blew him a kiss with an exaggerated wink.

“And you,” Allura pointed to Kuro. “You are in no position to be antagonising my Paladins.”

“I mean,” Lance started, “he’s only really antagonising Keith.”

“Lance, this is not the time.” Allura sighed heavily. There were times like this where Lance felt as though he saw a glimpse of the Empress that Allura was becoming superimposed over herself now -  someone imposing, someone powerful, someone whose rule was absolute. It was hard to decide if he was proud or terrified.

Kuro withered under Allura’s razor sharp gaze. Lance wondered if he saw the Princess or the Empress in that moment, and if was any way for him to know that there was a difference.

“Who are you?” Allura inquired.

“The druids named me Kuro.” Any trace of Kuro’s smirk was gone, his lips were a thin straight line. Although he was still trying to push his shoulders back and puff his chest out, there was a distinct fear in his eyes that gave him away. Until now, Lance had been creeped out by the glassiness of Galran eyes, but, in that moment, Kuro’s were overwhelmingly expressive.

“Yes but, why did they create you? Who are you to the Galra?”

 “I’m a back-up plan.” Kuro’s eyes flicked to Shiro and he clasped at the shackles on his wrists. “In case anything happened to their precious Champion.”

Allura quirked an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of effort to go to, just to make a back-up plan.”

“The Champion was, _is_ , important to them. He proves the druids power, that they can make anything weak, even a feeble human, stronger. They’d do just about anything to keep him in the ring.”  

Allura’s gaze softened. “Do you know anything of the Blade of Marmora?”

“Only rumours,” said Kuro. “They’re rebel Galrans, and they’re the only people in the universe that the druids want to get a hold of more than the Champion.”

“Stop calling him that,” Keith snapped.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” When Kuro looked at Keith, any of the softness in his gaze froze to bitter iciness. “Does it hurt to be reminded that your precious Black Paladin wasn’t always a hero for the right side? Does it hurt to think that he used to slaughter other prisoners, bathe in their blood while commanders you now fight cheered him on? Does it…”       

“That’s enough.” Allura rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger. “None of us need to be reminded of what Shiro had to do to survive.”

Kuro’s nostrils flared and he looked like he had something to say to that, but when Allura levelled her gaze at him, he fell silent. There was none of his earlier subservience though, now there was rage.

“You look like her you know,” Kuro whispered, “you’re just like Haggar.” 

To the untrained eye, Allura remained unresponsive to his insult, but Lance caught the way she bit at the inside of her lip, the slight widening of her eyes. They were the only signs of how deep Kuro wounded her with those words.

“If all you have to offer are insults and bitterness then I will be more than happy to place you in a prison pod and extract your memories by force.” Allura threatened. 

Kuro’s eyes flicked to Lance, back to the ground, to Allura, to Keith, back to the floor again, never to Shiro, and finally they settled on Allura as he spoke. “I was mostly kept in that cell or in a pod. But when they let me out, well they kept me around to…they kept me around like a pet, and they spoke freely. I don’t know everything they have planned, but I know some things that might help you.”

“And will you share them with me?”

“Will you throw me out the second I’ve outlived my usefulness?” Kuro asked.

“You will be a guest here,” Allura offered, “a guest with limited privileges, but not a prisoner.”

“See,” Kuro tilted his chin up, “the thing is I don’t believe you. And even if I did believe you, I certainly don’t believe those two lovebirds.”

“He doesn’t know anything,” Keith tossed a hand in Kuro’s direction. “And if he does, we can find out from the pods.”

“I’d rather I didn’t have to use the Castle’s energy extracting information from a willing informant,” said Allura. “So, what do you have to tell me Kuro?”

Kuro jerked his head away from Allura and looked at Lance as he spoke. “What do you know about the Olkari?”

 

* * *

 

Dinner that night was a tense affair. 

Kuro didn’t show up. He holed himself up in his room after Allura's interrogation and refused to join them. Hunk took him food though, and he came back with a smile on his face. Keith didn’t know why that bothered him so much. 

Lance and Pidge did their best to fill the silence, chatting loudly about different cloning theories, even Shiro dutifully threw in his own suggestions. Thankfully dinner was a short affair too, Shiro and Keith had snuck away once Coran came in and told them they were all completely long and gave a long lecture on the most likely cloning probabilities. Now they lay together in Shiro’s room in a tangled mess of limbs on their bed. 

“He doesn’t have to stay here.” Keith stated. He tugged Shiro down and pressed their foreheads together, catching his gaze and holding it. “I don’t care what any of them say, if you want him gone I will personally escort him back to that prison.”

“It’s OK Keith,” Shiro whispered, pressing kisses to Keith’s nose and cheeks. “Allura calls the shots, if she says we need him to help save the Olkari, to ensure that the alliance gala goes well, then we need him to help save the Olkari. What comes after that, who knows?”

Keith searched his eyes for any sign of dishonesty. He was surprised when he found none. He found a distance that clenched at his heart, and he didn't know how to bring Shiro back from whatever memory in his head he'd gone into. He rolled them over and collapsed onto Shiro’s chest. “When I look at him, I get so angry. I see everything they did to you, everything they put you through.”

“I understand. But it’s not that simple, he’s been through it all too.” Shiro wrapped his arms round Keith and sighed. “It’ll work itself out, for now, what matters is that we both came back alive.”

Keith settled in as Shiro draped his blankets over them, feeling the steady beat of Shiro’s heart beneath cheek. “I love you so much Kashi.”


	2. Act Two

The alliance gala was the hottest event of the ‘defeating the Galra’ season. Anyone who was anyone was going to be there. Kings and Queens, politicians and ambassadors, civilians and soldiers; it was to be a night of revelry. No debates or treaties – they’d spent months already getting those in order beforehand. Just a night to be at peace; to get a small taste of what a world without the threat of Zarkon might feel like. Allura was certain that it would make the galaxy fight that much harder once they remembered the taste of freedom. 

It would come as no surprise to learn there was a fair amount of hesitation from these planets about who was going to host it. Although they were planning a night of freedom, Zarkon was still very much a threat. Too often he’d made an example of the planets who angered him, and people weren’t exactly queueing to get on his radar. Allura had become convinced that their grand plans would be shot down before they even left the ground. 

But then, the Olkari had stepped forward, opening their planet to guests from all around the galaxies. The Paladins had been so grateful; Hunk had almost cried; some rebels had flown straight there with gifts from neighbouring planets; the plans had come together in serious and the heavily coded invitations (courtesy of Matt and Pidge) had been sent. 

Everyone knew that to host the alliance gala meant running the risk of becoming a target. And according to Kuro, the Galra were lining up their shot. 

Kuro hadn’t given them all the details. He’d shared more than enough to start planning a counterstrike before innocent lives were lost, but he held back a few key points to ensure his own worth. Keith said that it proved Kuro was untrustworthy. Lance thought it proved they were. He couldn’t fault Kuro for looking out for his own skin when half the Castle treated him like a pariah. 

It’d been a little over a week since they found Kuro in that prison and he’d been a model prisoner and an even better informant. Yet, Keith was sure that every word out of Kuro’s mouth was a lie and he made sure to let everyone know that at any given opportunity, and when there wasn’t a given opportunity he’d make his own. 

Allura and Shiro weren’t helping Kuro’s cause. Dosed up on unhealthy levels of scepticism and prejudice, they interrogated him relentlessly; prying for discrepancies in his story that never came up.  

Lance didn’t know how Kuro was coping with it. Although, admittedly, he wasn’t coping well. He had been sedated twice after getting too riled up in the interrogation sessions. And again, Lance couldn’t blame him for that. From what he’d heard, Kuro had been a prisoner his entire life. He’d been tortured by druids, thrown into the Gladiator ring, kept asleep only to be woken for more bloodshed and now he was being interrogated by the Paladins of Voltron, saviours of the Galaxy and defenders of the innocent. What kind of message did that send him? ‘Even those whose mandate is to protect you want to see you chained and beaten’? You treat someone like a volatile beast long enough and that’s how they’ll behave. Lance had sympathy. He knew all about becoming what everyone pushed you to be. 

He tried to see the scary evil in Kuro that everyone else saw, but he couldn’t forget the broken tone of his voice when he resigned himself to death at Keith’s blade. Lance was soft-hearted, sue him. 

At least his best buddy Hunk saw things in the same way. Lance was big enough to admit that he wasn’t always the best at reading people, but Hunk had a gut instinct that was unparalleled. So, if Hunk trusted Kuro enough to give him a shot; then that was more than enough for Lance.

“I am starving,” Lance stretched as he walked into the kitchen, collapsing into a bar stool and spinning it lazily while Hunk rifled through the kitchen pantry. “Whatcha cooking good looking?” 

Hunk emerged from the pantry victorious, holding up a small jar full of…something small dark and hopefully not crawling, and sprinkled it over the plates he had waiting. 

“Tonight, we have strange alien sesame seeds, served on a bed of lime green food goo, garnished with my very own tears from a lack of real food. Sound good?” Hunk asked as he passed a plate over to Lance who smiled as he took a big fake whiff and grinned. 

“The food of kings.” Lance picked the faux sesame seeds off his meal and nibbled at the goo. It wasn’t too bad, but his stomach was tied in too many knots for him to really enjoy it. It was hard to relax the day before a mission. 

“Any clue where the others are?” Hunk came around the bench and sat beside Lance, tucking into his own food with vigour.  

Lance rolled his eyes. “Still going over the plan for tomorrow with Kuro. They’re convinced he’s leading them into a trap.”

He didn't add that he had just come from that meeting, or that he'd stormed out. 

“I mean, he is asking us to sneak into a high tech Galra research facility that is literally full of crazy advanced space weapons, super intelligent drones and more guards than we know what to do with.” 

“He offered to go in on his own,” Lance pointed out. “It was Allura who said we couldn’t risk losing the one advantage we had.”

“I’m not fighting you about Kuro’s loyalty. I just think that a good plan is essential if we want this to go smoothly, the smoother it goes, the better they feel about Kuro, the safer the Olkari are, the better this alliance will go…plans are good man. I like plans, they usually keep me from getting shot at.” 

Lance groaned. “I hate when you’re reasonable.” 

Pidge ambled into the room with their laptop under their arm and half their hair tied up in a messy bun. A sure sign she’d been working and wasn’t about to stop anytime soon. “Is Lance being a drama queen?”

“Yes,” said Hunk. 

Lance spluttered, said something about betrayal and brotherhood but it was ultimately lost in his mouthful of food goo. 

“You’re disgusting,” Pidge rolled her eyes as she dropped into the chair beside him. “Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” 

“Don’t look at all this and think it reflects Lance’s mother’s skills, that woman is a goddess.” Hunk lifted his hand to his lips and blew a kiss to the air. 

"Sometimes I think you only befriended me to get to my mother," accused Lance, pointing his spoon at Hunk as he leaned back from the table. 

Hunk's response died on his tongue as Shiro coughed from the doorway. The three paladins turned to face him and the humour in the room died a swift death. Shiro looked exhausted. His eyes were heavy, his brows downturned, the weight of the Castle, the galaxy, the universe was visible on his shoulders. "Kuro doesn't know where the facility is." 

"What?" Pidge's voice cracked with her anger. "But we've been going over this for days!?" 

"He thought he did, but it moved since his capture."

"Does he know anything about it that would let us track it?" Hunk asked. "Does he know its flight path? It's stops? Where does it resupply?" The questions kept coming as Hunk picked up the problem and rolled it over in his brain until he had eked out any possible solution. 

"He knows someone who will know where it is." It sounded like a good thing, but there was a strange lilt to Shiro's voice, a hint of despair. 

Lance squeezed his eyes shut. "Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing?" 

"Because they're a druid." 

Pidge cursed, Lance agreed. 

He rubbed his hand over the scars on his arm that branched like lightning. His experiences with druids so far had not been positive to say the least. Getting a mouthy Galra soldier to give them answers would've been a walk in the park. Getting a druid to say much of anything was a different ball game. The only one he'd even heard speak was Haggar. Sometimes he was convinced they didn't have mouths beneath those plague-masks, or eyes for that matter, or bones, or anything except for quintessence and rage. 

"When do we go?" He didn't want to know the answer but he had to ask. 

"Allura's making a preparing a wormhole now." 

Lance grit his teeth, pulling his bayard from its rest at his hip and trying to find comfort in its the steady weight of it in his hand. Pidge was already halfway out the door, tying their hair back in a ponytail and whistling for their latest incarnation of Rover. Shiro and Hunk followed behind them back to the main control room, Lance heard snippets of their plotting and planning and while he was grateful, he knew they were going in blind. Somewhere in the castle Keith must be loving this, he thought bitterly, all his fears and prejudice proven right. It was a bloody dream come true.

 

* * *

Keith hated this. 

He was all for reckless behaviour. But to him that meant following his gut, not a Galra monstrosity. Yet here he was, flying into an enemy spacecraft with a clone of his boyfriend pacing behind his seat.

"Would you sit still?" Keith snarled. Red's unsettled growls reverberated around the room and set the lights flickering. She disliked the clone almost as much as he did, _almost_. 

The clone turned to him, one eyebrow raised as he gestured at the empty floor around them. He seemed to think he was above sitting on the ground. Keith shook his head and turned back to the task at hand. 

He knew that Pidge was flying somewhere in front of him, but her stealth mode was set so high that even Red couldn't find her. Her job was to get in, break the defences, and allow everyone else a safe landing. Keith's task was to stay a safe distance away, far enough that he couldn't be spotted but close enough that he could provide cover for Pidge if they needed a quick getaway. The clone was there for once they landed onboard, then he'd either lead them to their answers or their doom. 

"I didn't..."  

Keith cut off whatever lies they were going to say with a slice of his hand. "I don't want to hear it." 

The clone huffed. Silence dragged on between them as they floated in space. Keith's hands twitched on Red's controls. If Pidge didn't give the signal in the next five quintents...

A small green flare went up from the underbelly of the ship. Keith pushed the controls forward and tried not to smile too much when he heard the clone go slamming into the back of Red. 

"Try not to damage my girl," Keith said.

The clone muttered something under his breath as he pushed himself back up right as Keith was landing. And maybe Keith landed a little badly just to see the clone get flung against the wall again, sue him. Not his fault the druids didn't give him a better sense of balance.

They landed in a cavernous bay. It was empty save for Green sitting with their shield up. The room was typical of a Galra ship, grey stone-like walls and purple lighting in the ceilings that cast long shadows that crept across the sterile floors. 

Pidge was waiting for them at Red's mouth. She had schematics for the ship already loaded into her armour and the small projector on her wrist was displaying a 3D map with dots for each of the Paladins on board. As Keith watched, Hunk and Lance blipped onto the map on the other side of the ship. He tapped his wrist against hers and a copy of the map popped up from his armour. 

"Any problems?" Pidge asked. 

"Nothing I couldn't handle," answered Keith, keeping a watchful eye on Kuro as he walked away from the pair. 

"Oi tour guide," Pidge clicked her fingers at Kuro and he turned to her with vague disinterest. "Stick with the group." 

"They're here." Kuro stated. 

"Your spidey senses tell you that?" Pidge asked. Kuro and Keith both gave her blank looks and she groaned. "Nevermind, Lance would've got it." 

Kuro walked back to them and crouched down to peer at Pidge's map. His finger traced a path through the ship. Each time he had to pause and backtrack he made a frustrated sound in his throat. But eventually, he stopped. 

"They're there," Kuro said. 

"How do you know?" Keith demanded. 

Kuro shrugged. "Call it a gut feeling."

Pidge was already on coms with Hunk and Lance, directing them to the location. In Keith's opinion she showed an unnerving amount of trust in the clone. She must have seen his skepticsim because she gave him the look that screamed 'you got a better plan?'. Unfortunately, he didn't. 

"I'll stay here," Pidge settled herself down cross-legged and tugged her laptop towards her. "I'll keep an eye on the communications and let you know if they've spotted you, also I'll keep the exits open." She jerked a thumb at the bay door behind Red and Green. "In case of emergency lights will guide you to your nearest exit route."

"Watch yourself," Keith warned, pulling his bayard out and smiling as it formed his trusty sword. 

"You're the one I'm worried about." Pidge jerked her head subtly at Kuro's back. "Be careful."

"When am I ever?" Despite his words, Keith nodded.

Pidge faded into the metal of the ship as he turned away. The day she had worked out how to add Green's stealth to her armour had been a dangerous and valuable one.  

Kuro kept a few paces ahead of Keith as they climbed the service stairs of the ship. The metal creaked under their weight despite how careful they were. Kuro paused every now and again and sniffed at the air like a bloodhound. Keith wouldn't admit it, but he felt chills run down his spine every time those golden eyes fell on him and gestured him onwards. 

Once they'd climbed four levels and encountered no-one, Keith was convinced that something was wrong. This was going too perfectly. 

When they reached the fifth floor, only a short run to the druid's location, Keith pushed ahead of him and out through the mechanical doors. Keith slunk around the corner, careful to keep his footfalls lighter than air. Despite his soundless movements, one of the droids guarding their target lifted their head and turned in his direction. He startled back round the corner, pushing Kuro out of sight and pressing flat against the wall. 

"They didn't see us," Kuro's voice was so quiet Keith almost didn't hear it. "You should've let me go ahead." 

"Why? So you can out me to your crew?" Keith whispered. He gripped his bayard tighter, prepared for the strike to come. 

"Because you're not expendable," Kuro corrected. 

Keith blinked, frozen in his spot on the floor until Kuro called him on from ahead of him. He felt blindsided by Kuro's comment, and he was even less prepared for the patrol waiting for them around the corner. 

"Quiznak," Keith spat. He darted past Kuro and rammed his sword up and through the droid's chest. He took a rough head count as he shook the droid off his blade. Ten at best, fifteen at worst. They kept moving, converging on them like a swarm, making themselves impossible to count. But no alarms were blaring, so no backup could come. This was all the resistance they'd face. If Kuro was leading them right to this druid, then he was committed to the act. He ripped the head right off one of the droids and plunged his burning purple fist through the chest of another. Ten against two didn't sound like bad odds.

Keith kicked a droid away and used the momentum to slice through the next with his sword. Metal on metal sung out through the hall. Keith and Kuro twisted and slashed through the droids like it was a choreographed dance. Kuro would dart forward, arm ablaze and throw them off their balance. Before they could recalibrate, Keith was there slashing their vital wiring with a surgeon's precision and a gladiator's rage. 

Keith realised with a start that these were battle plans he'd made with Shiro. He ignored the disgust that crept over his skin and kept his blade swinging. He had to keep fighting, it didn't matter what they'd done, it didn't matter what they'd made, it didn't matter how much it felt like a betrayal to fight alongside Shiro's nightmares. 

It didn't matter, but he was distracted nonetheless. 

An arm came around his neck and the barrel of a gun knocked against his temple. It pressed right where Shiro had kissed him for luck when they left. Keith clawed at the arm on his neck and kicked out at the metal legs but he couldn't make headway. His sword clattered to the ground. Kuro turned at the noise and when he saw Keith's predicament, he lifted his hands in surrender. The droid loosened their grip. Keith was grateful that their command must've been capture not kill but there still wasn't enough room for him to fight back and Kuro was giving up. 

Keith whined and struggled harder as the droid carried him towards the room. He wouldn't face a druid like this, he couldn't. He wiggled in their grasp. He fought for more room. Just a little more. He just needed to get the gun out of their hand, or to get an elbow free to knock them back, or something. If he just had more time.   


There was a bang. A flash of blue in Keith's periphery. Next thing he knew he was on the ground on his back with Lance leaning over him, his gun still smoking as he helped Keith to his feet.

"Watch your back Samurai," said Lance. 

"That's what we've got our Sharpshooter for," Keith found his bayard and ran his fingers over his neck. They came away clean, a blessing since too often those droids had sharp edges. 

He and Kuro's clean run upstairs must've been a fluke because Lance was clearly favouring his right leg and he had one hell of a bruise forming on his chin. Hunk's hair had fallen from his headband and there was a crack in his armour at the shoulder. Despite the burns and bruises though, they'd still made it in phenomenal time. 

"Are you hurt?" Hunk asked.

"No," said Keith as Lance limped over and provided him a shoulder to lean on. "Just give me a moment to catch my breath." 

"What about you?" Hunk turned to Kuro, who startled at his attention. 

The brief wide-eyed gaze was gone in an instant and Kuro just shook his head. 

The four of them stared at the door. There was no way the druid hadn't heard the fighting and gunfire, yet they stayed in their room – why? Keith stepped away from Lance's hold and went to the door, he lifted his hand to the handle and...

"Wait!" Lance said. 

"What?" 

Lance winked. "Don't you think you should knock first?"

"Oh for the love of..." Keith groaned and swung the door open before Lance could make any more lame jokes.

The druid was stood in the middle of a beautiful octagonal room. Four walls were purely windows, looking out on a distant galaxy that shone golden in the void. Half the room jutted out from the main ship and glass floor gave the illusion of the sky pouring inside. Artificial sunlight bathed the room with a warmth that was so familiar it ached. Paintings of various sizes filled the remaining walls, images of distant planets, some recognizable, others foreign and strange. They formed a kaleidoscope of colour on the wall that was beautiful in its chaos. It was a room of light, art, beauty and the distant and beautiful stars. Keith couldn't believe a druid had created it, let alone lived in it.    


"Trilia," Kuro approached them slowly, hands still raised and his Galra arm powered down. The Paladins didn't move but held their weapons ready to strike. No one was going to fight

The druid, Trilia, spun round and pulled their cloak in a wide arc as it followed them. Their hood was down and they weren't wearing a mask. They smiled widely with all their pointed white teeth on show. "You think you can defeat Haggar? You can't even free yourself of her," Trilia sung, her laughter was manic, rising in the room like smoke over a battlefield. "You're a fool. You're a beast. You're a broken shadow of a broken man. Catch me, catch yourself, catch her if you can." 

"She's mad," said Hunk. He took a step back towards the door and lowered his bayard. 

Kuro moved forward again. "Trilia, I need to know where they've hidden Kaxalion."

"Kaxalion?" Trilia asked. Her wide golden eyes blinked slowly, once, twice, then faster until they were a blur and she crumpled forward to her knees. When she finally looked up, her eyes were black and her lips pulled back in a snarl. "Kaxalion is a secret."

"A secret that you know," Kuro pushed. Keith watched, quietly amazed, as Kuro crouched a few feet away from Trilia and reached out his metal arm. "It's where you made me this."

Trilia shuffled forward in her crouch. She tripped over the ends of her cloak as she went but no-one in the room moved. She traced her fingers delicately over Kuro's thumb, forefinger, down the back of his hand to his wrist and back up along his middle finger. Finally she smiled. 

"They took my mind," she whispered finally. "For giving you an arm, they said it was a fair price to pay." She looked up at Kuro, eye's shining blue with her tears. "It wasn't fair, was it?"

"No," said Kuro. "No it wasn't."

"They took my mind," Trilia was angry now, the air around her shifted and stirred. Her rage was a wraith much larger than herself. "They took it but they didn't take my eyes and with my eyes I can see, I can see their plans and their plots and their foolishness. I can see their folly and their mistakes. I can see their weapons and their destruction, oh their destruction. Oh Kuro, it's a symphony. It's beautiful. It's creation in reverse."

Kuro placed his metal hand on Trilia's shoulder and shook her slightly. "Kaxalion, where is Kaxalion?"

"Why are you asking?" The recognition that was there was gone just as quickly. Before Kuro could answer she was up and darting away from him. "Because you want to stop her." Her eyes darted up to Keith and she sneered. "Because she couldn't take your heart. But I won't tell you. They took my mind and now you want me to give you a place so they can take my head."

Kuro started to deny it. Trilia saw through him. The paintings on the wall shook and clattered as she seethed. Kuro's arm lit up in response and it was clearly the wrong move. Trilia's eyes shone gold again and she screamed. 

"We want to make a bigger weapon!" Lance's lie cut through her scream. Keith stared at him in shock as he walked towards the raging witch and lied seamlessly. "Can you see that Trilia? Imagine Voltron with the cannon that Haggar has made. Imagine how much we could destroy? The greatest warrior in the Universe with the greatest weapon." 

"But you are Paladins," Trilia was arguing but she leaned towards Lance and licked her lips. "You heal."

"Zarkon was a Paladin," Lance smiled back at her, calculating and cruel and nothing like his usual joy. 

It was impossible, improbable, it was a mad plan but Trilia lowered herself back to the floor and took Lance's face gently in her hands. Keith was frozen. His sword had even returned to its inactive state at his hip. He watched as Kuro surged forward but a small wave from Lance stopped him in his path. 

"You want power, you want recognition, you want them to _see_." Trilia sung. "The cannon will make the universe see." 

"Where is it?" Lance asked. 

"It's in the Centurion Galaxy, it's cloaked but if you look with your Lions you'll see through their eyes and nothing hides from the Lions." Trilia whispered. She pitched forward until her lips ran over the shell of Lance's ear. "Make sure she doesn't see you first."

"We'll be the last thing she ever sees," Lance promised.    


Trilia let him go and he was back across the room and halfway out the door before the others had time to think.

"Oh and, Kuro," Trilia smiled, soft and sweet. "It wasn't fair, but you deserved it."   

Keith wasn't sure what she meant by that, but Kuro flinched like it was a physical blow. He waved farewell as Hunk pulled the doors closed behind them and as soon as the were safely on one side of the doors, Lance shot the opening mechanism. 

"She could change her mind any second," he explained. "Everyone back to your lions, a door won't hold her."

They dove over the carnage in the doorway and raced down the halls. They paused to wish each other luck where they had to part ways. 

"Why didn't you tell us she was..." Lance struggled for the right word. 

"Because I didn't know," said Kuro. "Last time I saw Trilia, she was Haggar's right-hand druid. She was terrifying, and brutal, and the arm wasn't a blessing it was a curse. But apparently that meant nothing to Haggar, an arm for a cripple could only ever be a gift, no matter the intent."

"Can we save this discussion for back at the Castle where we don't have a mad druid and who knows how many droids deciding whether or not to kill us?" Hunk  bounced from leg to leg and jerked his hands towards their escape routes. "Just a suggestion."  


Lance saluted them farewell. "Watch your back Samurai. And protect Kuro."

Keith saluted back. "No promises."   


 

* * *

 

That evening was strange to say the least. Kuro was permitted to eat at the dining table with the Paladins. He spent half the meal staring at his unbound wrists and wondered what he had done to deserve their kindness. In the end he had failed. It was Lance who had found Kaxalion, all Kuro had done was attack like the beast he was. And even despite his failures, they talked to him, and joked with him, and Lance acted out his fight with a droid complete with terrible sound effects. Keith was still closed off, giving him nothing but a nod when he sat down. But the others, they treated him like he was part of the team. Even Shiro told him he'd done a good job.   


Kuro stared at his unbound wrists, and felt like a fraud. 

Allura led him back to his cell at the end of the meal and he felt a sense of peace at the normalcy. He called her back when she said goodnight, given strength being back in his own space. 

“Princess…” Kuro started. He was unsure how to phrase his question and terrified that if he stumbled then she would pounce. 

“You did well today,” Allura offered. “I fear I may have been too harsh on you until now.” 

“I don’t think you were,” Kuro admitted. 

“Pardon?”

“I think Haggar can get in my head. I think she can reach in and see through my eyes.” 

Allura straightened up. Her lips tightened into a thin white line and the colour drained from her face as she glared down at Kuro. “Is she looking now?” 

“She hasn’t since I escaped,” Kuro rushed to amend. He bowed his head, looking to the world like a convict awaiting the axe. "But I can feel her at the edges of my mind, waiting to sink her claws in."

Allura took a deep breath. She looked out the window of the ship at the stars and sought in her heart how to proceed. 

"Well then," she said finally, "we'd best cut off her hands." 

 

* * *

“Your…project Lady Haggar,” the soldier stumbled over his words. Weakness. Cowardice. If only she could rip it from all her soldiers as easily as it had been plucked from her. 

“What of him?” 

“He escaped.” 

Haggar’s robes billowed around her as she spun, her clawed hand reaching out for the soldier. He took a step back. Then another. “ _What_?” 

“I don’t know how they did it Lady Haggar. There was no record of the prison being broken into, and no one goes that far out to check on him unless there’s an alert. But we received communication from Trilia, your project was just there threatening them.” 

“Who broke into my prison?” Haggar demanded. Knowing the answer in her heart but needing to hear it to give direction to her rage. “Voltron, my Lady.” 

Haggar growled, a low unnatural sound that didn’t belong to this universe. Her arm flew out and in the empty space in the room. A ring glowed purple but the centre was hollow, no vision, no sight, no sound. No. No. _No._ She did not scream, she did not move, she did not breathe. Oh, no her rage was a silent thing. It was a slow, silent, painful death. 

They would pay for this. They had wronged her. They had stolen from her. They had ruined her research. They had stolen her project. They had blinded her. And they would _pay in bones and blood and viscera._

**Author's Note:**

> Ta-dah! Hope you had fun, I know I am having way too much fun writing this, Kuro is a delight to work with. 
> 
> This is largely an experiment in me plotting a larger project and using as many characters as I can juggle, so, hopefully I'm off to a good start?
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://dreamsofbooksandmonsters.tumblr.com/) if you want to talk to me about things, ask me about things, berate me for updates because I don't have a posting schedule and that's totally cool if you want to. Or just comment to talk to me/ask me things. 
> 
> Kudos fuel me and keep my crops thriving.


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